It’s still early in my journey, and I have only been with without a drink for five days now. I am more of a weed smoker typically than I am a drinker but recently my drinking has gotten worst and caused problems at home. I’m just wondering what are other people beliefs on smoking weed while trying to remain sober from alcohol.
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Welcome and congratulations on your five days. This is only my opinion, but I think quitting one substance at a time seems valid. Once you’ve had a long stretch off the alcohol, you can always revisit the weed use. Guess at some point, you’ll ask yourself why you use weed. Is it medicinal? Is it recreational? Or are you dependent? And do you use more than you want to? You’ll find your answers and then decide what to do then. Meanwhile, just for now, it’s enough to be quitting the drink. Maybe that’s all you want to focus on for now.
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Welcome to the community! And congrats on your decision to try sobriety.
For me, sobriety means not consuming any substance that alters reality. Now, weed was never really my thing, but when I was cutting out booze, I considered weed - because my mind still craved mind-altering substances!
Recovery, for me, has meant leaning into the real life experience of living without these substances. I can say there are still hard days, for sure, but by focusing on your recovery - you can build tools to deal with the tough stuff of life. Really deal.
And I can tell you the good days are wayyyyy better than anything I ever got from wine.
Onward, friend. I hope you to see you more around here! 
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I was addicted to weed for a long time. Decades. While binging on alcohol, and doing other drugs on occasion. When I quit smoking weed (and tobacco) in 2015, I started drinking at home, and daily. And ever more. Took me a while to realize I was addicted and a while longer to successfully do something about it. Clean and sober from all substances now since 2019. And never going back. I’m an addict, with my addictions in long term remission and planning on keeping it that way for the rest of my life.
I know many people feel quitting all at once is too much but the numbers say different. Numbers say the best chance of successfully being free from addiction is to quit al substances at once. Which of course I didn’t do either but there you have it. Addiction is addiction. I think you’re not sober. But it’s your life of course. Wishing you all success on your journey Chauncey.
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in this case it makes even less sense to consider yourself sober if you’re not even cutting out the most used of your DOCs.
also no, sober means no mind alteration. you are going alcohol free.
I would consider my goals and see if weed still has a place if I’m serious about going after them.
all the best to you!
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You can consider yourself alcohol free but not sober. In order to achieve long term sobriety the why needs to be discovered. Why do we feel the need to escape? Why can’t we cope with a normal mind? It’s hard to find those answers if you’re not actively working on recovery with a sober clear mind.
In any case congratulations on 5 days of not ingesting poison. Keep working towards your recovery. Best wishes Chauncey
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Any mind altering substances in your body your not sober , but im sure youl get there wish you well
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I quit both! If I was drinking, I was smoking weed, If I was smoking weed, I was drinking. You are not sober, if you smoke weed (which you choose) I wish you well
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@Cstaples A massive welcome and congratulations on 5 days without alcohol. That’s a great milestone. To answer your question, I would say no you’re not sober. Like alcohol, weed alters the mind which is the opposite of sober. With weed being your main DOC it seems like you’re yet to take the step to sobriety. Not judging here, just my opinion. If you don’t feel ready to drop alcohol and weed, at least you have stopped drinking. You can always drop the weed when you’re ready. Keep coming here, you’ll see lots of great stories, read advice and be supported to stay on track. Keep it up!
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If you want to be sober from alcohol, as you said, the answer is yes
If you want to be fully sober in the future, the answer is no
I used to smoke thc all day long for years and years, weed/ash was my biggest addiction. But in the end alcohol was the substance that made me do or say so many stupid things, and kind of lost my family. I can understand that alcohol maybe be a sober priority. And it’s a big step. Stay strong
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For me, being sober means no mind altering substances at all. I believe giving it all up at the same time is the way to go. In my active addiction, I was drinking, snorting cocaine and taking opioids daily. The withdrawal from opioids was hell and it would have been very easy to use another substance to ease the pain, but I knew it would only prolong the work I needed to do on myself. Addressing the reasons why we turn to substances and finding healthier coping skills are most important for long term sobriety.
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My definition has changed as I have progressed in my sobriety.
When I began my journey, alcohol was killing me. It was shutting down my body and causing all kinds of ruckus in my life. I was prescribed marijuana for health reasons, so I considered myself “sober” as refrained from alcohol use.
As time went on, I realized I carried on the same patterns with weed. It was an escape. I had the same excuses I had with alcohol as to why I “needed” to continue to use it. But in the end, I didn’t know if it was BS excuses I made that said I needed it or not as I’d smoked so long. So I just gave it up. I discovered it wasn’t what was truly best for me. I also felt inauthentic in using it for true sobriety. And my life changed in a BIG way without that substance.
If it’s your true drug of choice, it is worth looking at with the questions posed above.
In longer term sobriety, I also limit sugar and caffeine contents as these too are psychoactive substances. But sometimes we just need to start where we are and have progress over perfection.
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